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Origin and history

The Notre-Dame-de-la-Rivière Chapel, also known as the Marais Chapel, is a religious building located in Domloup, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany. Built in the 15th century, it is located along the D39 departmental road, near the river Yaigne. Its Gothic architecture is distinguished by steeply arched bays and a flat bedside nave. The entrance door, in broken arch, is surmounted by a bas-relief representing angels holding banners with the arms of Brittany and lords of Châteaugiron.

The chapel probably depended on the manor of the River, destroyed at the end of the 14th century. It was a local pilgrimage place under the Old Regime, where the faithful came to invoke the Virgin against fevers. A polychrome wooden statue of the Virgin, still present, was the object of devotion. The chapel, listed as a historical monument in 1973, was restored from 1983. Its interior features a panel, glazed beams and initially varnished tomettes.

Outside, the western gable is surmounted by a cross, and a semi-cylindrical column adorns its southern angle. The tympanum of the false bay houses a statue of Saint Anne. A granite cross replaced the old, and a fountain, now gone, allowed pilgrims to dip their banners. The chapel was served by a chaplain in a building adjacent to the north.

The lords of Châteaugiron, mentioned on the banners and carved shields, are probably at the origin of its construction. Their presence is attested by the coat of arms visible in the decor. The chapel illustrates Breton religious architecture of the 15th century, combining simplicity and Gothic decorative elements.

Under the Old Regime, this type of rural chapel played a central role in community life, serving as a place of worship, pilgrimage and gathering. The pilgrims came there for spiritual or therapeutic reasons, as evidenced by the devotion to the Virgin against fevers. The chapel thus reflects the religious and social practices of medieval and modern Brittany.

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